


"Shadow land", a SW vignette for my OC character Nagina

by AzureAngel2



Series: Tyrian purple, a vignette collection concerning Palpatine´s niece (my OC) [15]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Drugs, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Torture, Planet Naboo (Star Wars)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-02
Updated: 2017-04-02
Packaged: 2018-10-14 01:33:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10526121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AzureAngel2/pseuds/AzureAngel2
Summary: Summary: A hard working, single mother discovers a dreadful truth. The man she trusted with the well-being of her baby girl let her down. An old Naboo saying says that“a scorpion will never change his nature”. That seems to be the only reality for a mighty Sith lord.Time frame: The story takes place 59 BBY.Planet of choice: NabooDisclaimer: SW is owned by George Lucas, Lucas Ltd. and now The Walt Disney Company





	

**Title: “Shadow land”, a Nagina vignette**

 

_Come little children I'll take thee away,_  
_Into a land of enchantment,_  
_Come little children the time's come to play,_  
_Here in my garden of shadows._

_Follow sweet children I'll show thee the way_  
_Through all the pain and the sorrows_  
_Weep not poor children for life is this way,_  
_murdering beauty and passions._

_Hush now dear children_  
_It must be this way to weary of life and exceptions._  
_Rest now my children for soon we'll away_  
_Into the calm and the quite._

_Uh Uh Uh._

_Come little children I'll take thee away_  
_Into a land of enchantment,_  
_Come little children the time's come to play,_  
_Here in my garden of shadows._

_Uh Uh Uh._

 

Nagina is your little angel. As gentle as a grazing Shaak calf and as sweet as a freshly plucked Naboo berry. But she sleeps too much, seldom wakes up. When she does, her gaze is hazy. Too unfocused really.

Your motherly instincts tell you that there is something wrong with her.

Babies should begin to follow moving objects with their eyes and reach for things at around three months of age. Nagina is about four months old.

Carefully, you gather the small bundle in your arms.

Sheev has hidden her for you in an empty fruit box in the garden shelter. At times you have the impression that he enjoys those hide-and-seek games too much. He is a master of mischief, when you let him. The naughty big brother who relishes your shared secret.

Whatever happens, Nagina must not be found. It would mean her certain death. You and your half-brother agree on that.

Old Cosinga does not commit the same mistake twice. It is known throughout the Lake Country. After he secretly killed your mother, his involuntary mistress, he left you alive under his roof as a punishment. His grand-child will not be shown the same mercy.

With the sleeping baby pressed against your chest, you walk through the garden gate.

Here, at the edge of the vast estate, nobody will disturb the two of you.

The rest of the staff is busy in the villa with its thirty-seven rooms. And you know for certain, that the Palpatine family is off-world. Your father made that very clear last night, underlining the information with violent lashes of his whip. To be on the safe side, he had added some punches into your abdomen and bruised at least one of your ribs.

You take a deep breath, even though it hurts to breath.

Once more old Cosinga made sure he injured you only in places that nobody can spot easily. He plays this crying game with you since you are seven years old. But he did much worse to Sheev.

You shiver just thinking about his scars. About the abyss that his soul can be at times. When he was just a couple of hours old, he got almost strangled to death.

A butterfly sails by, happy and careless.

Convergence could be a place of extraordinary beauty, tranquillity and elegance. Just like the Villa Varykino which is about three-hundred metres away down the road.

_“Yaa Devii Sarva Bhooteshu Dayaa Roopena Samsthita Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namo Namaha,”_ you mumble into the autumn breeze. _I bow again and again to the Devi, who dwells in all creatures in the form of mercy or kindness._

Your faith in the moon goddess of your people is strong. Your mother has it, you have it and you will make sure that Nagina will have it, too.

Therefore you speak further words of praise.

_“Ma Amba Lalitha Devi_  
_Parashakti Sundari_  
_Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namo Namah_  
_Ma Amba Lalitha Devi_  
_Mahamaye Mangale_  
_Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namo Namah_  
_Ma Amba Lalitha Devi_  
_Mahakali Bhairavi_  
_Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namo Namah_  
_Ma Amba Lalitha Devi_  
_Mahalakshmi Vaishnavi_  
_Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namo Namah_  
_Ma Amba Lalitha Devi_  
_Ma Sarasvati Brahmi_  
_Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namo Namah_  
_Ma Amba Lalitha Devi_  
_Durga Devi Shankari_  
_Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namo Namah_  
_Ma Amba Lalitha Devi_  
_Uma Parvati Shive_  
_Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namo Namah_  
_Ma Amba Lalitha Devi_  
_Ma Bhavani Ambike_  
_Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namo Namah_  
_Ma Amba Lalitha Devi_  
_Annapurna Lakshmi Ma_  
_Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasya Namo Namah_  
_Ma Amba Lalitha Devi_  
_Kamala Katyayani_  
_Namastastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namo Namah_  
_Ma Amba Lalitha Devi_  
_Tvam Tripura Sundari_  
_Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasya Namo Namah_

Shiraya will guide your baby girl through every darkness in life. Of that you are sure.

_The Divine Mother is everywhere._  
_She is in everything._  
_She is the Divine Essence that lives within all beings._  
_Her domain is the field of life, for she gives_  
_to all beings the sustenance that is needed for life._  
_Her beauty lives in the natural world,_  
_and spans the universes in all their splendour._  
_She has been called by many names,_  
_for all traditions recognize Her._  
_Into each consciousness the knowledge is given_  
_of the sacredness of life._  
_This sacredness IS the Mother._  
_She is the holy generator of the physical world,_  
_joined to the heart and soul of every living thing._  
_All of the Earth is one with Her._  
_All beings of the Earth owe their life to Her,_  
_for she is the Mother of all, the One who bestows_  
_all gifts of life._  
_Her gifts come to the deserving and to the_  
_non-deserving alike, for the sun does not choose_  
_upon whom to shine._  
_She is the source of Divine blessing, the part_  
_of the Oneness that bestows the graces that fill life._  
_We have not seen Her because her being is_  
_cloaked in silence._  
_She emerges now as part of the Oneness where_  
_she has always resided, blessing all, giving to all._  
_All who bow before Her are sustained by the life_  
_within them._  
_All who honour Her are sustained by life's gifts_  
_both within themselves and beyond._  
_The purpose of existence is to join with Life that lives_  
_in all dimensions and all realms of being._  
_It is the Mother that creates this evolving,_  
_this unfolding journey,_  
_for she is the fabric of Time itself,_  
_the means by which all things grow._  
_She is the template for life that exists within Her --_  
_the substance and form of all that shall ever come to be._  
_May all be blessed by the blessings of the_  
_Divine Oneness._

You walk down to the lake, where you take off your shoes and dip them inside the water. For that you have to put Nagina aside, who does not wake up.

When you gather the child in your arms again, you smell it. Coming straight from her little mouth.

Cold hands grip your heart.

Your nose is seldom mistaken. It is actually way better than that of the operating chéf.

Red poppy seed.

“No!” you wail and get up.

You need something that will help Nagina to get rid of the opiate. But you cannot run back to the house. That is completely out of question.

Perhaps when you run over to Varykino. The family who owns it are not in, but some of their staff members are. People that you know since years. Who you can afford to trust.

You are already on the road, when Sheev approaches with his Gian speeder. He had been in Theed, which is two flight hours away. Of course, he stops the engines and calls out your name.

“Mandré!”

That does not impress you much. You walk on, Nagina suddenly weighing a thousand tons.

Your half-brother runs after you.

“Where do you think you are taking her?” he demands to know, his voice worse than a whiplash.

You walk as fast as your injuries allow.

His hands claw around your shoulder blades.

“What... is.... the... matter?” he asks out of breath.

“You poisoned her!” you accuse him right away.

Your daughter's life is too precious for a fruitless discussion with him. A Palpatine always feels righteous and on top of things.

He releases you immediately and you swing around to face him.

His noble features are a mixture of shock and rage. And then, oddly, guilt. “It was just a small amount of poppy seed,” he says in a low tone.

This is when it happens. While your left hand clings on to your child, your right hands smacks into his face with full force. He, who usually knows all, has not seen this coming.

“Nagina needs not to be drugged for senseless reasons, Sheev!” You glare up to him. “You failed me as a baby sitter. But even worse, you failed her as an uncle.”

You also could tell him that about one teaspoon of poppy seeds is the scale for every seven pounds of body weight. Someone weighing about seventy kilograms should probably eat no more than seven tablespoons of raw poppy seeds at a time. For a baby like Nagina, that has to be scaled back more than proportionally to be safe.

He gives you a helpless smile. “If she really has an overdose, let me...”

“Let you?” you huff.

“To say sorry is not easy for me, Mandré.” His eyes are shaded. “And it is an obstacle for me to not get things done my way. But I implore you, let me heal the child!”

“I'd rather have a Veermok devour her!” you shriek. “Or sacrifice her to the water spirits!”

Emotions fleet over his handsome features, most of them scary. But then he sighs, “Please let me help! If you do not trust me any more, trust the Force.”

I know my half-brother to be destructive rather than creative, but then I see the blue light threads that gather around his finger tips. It reminds me of a kyber crystal that I once saw in action.

“The dark side and the light,” he says. “I studied them both. Please let me undo the harm that I caused. I like to fix things… occasionally.”

You sag down and cry, Nagina silently in your arms.

He hovers above you, all pride gone. “I was wrong in using poppy seeds.” His voice is broken. “But after I already used laudanum, opium, cocaine and...”

This makes you to lift up a hand in sheer self-defence. “Stop right there!”

“Hear me out!” He squats down, not caring that his senate robes get dirty. “This is the first baby I am taking care of. They are so fragile, so unpredictable. I just wanted Nagina to sleep through, not waking up crying.”

“You are such a dumb arse, Sheev!” you sniff.

“I am a Sith,” he adds for consideration. “How am I supposed to know about decent baby care?”

“You volunteered,” I remind him matter-of-fact.

“Yes,” he breathes.

“Throw those ancient script rolls and holocrons away!” you confront him. “Then, and only then, I might consider to allow you to take care of her again.”

“No more sleeping aids for Nagina, I swear!” he says with heart-melting honesty. “Now let me heal her!”

**Author's Note:**

> Sources:  
> The song “Come Little Children” sung by Sarah Jessica Parker for the movie “Hocus Pocus” (1993)  
> A traditional Hindu Durga (Devi) stuti  
> Sanskrit “Devi Prayer” from the CD“108 Sacred Names of Mother Divine” by Craig Pruess and Ananda (2002), translated by English text by Julie Redstone  
> Wookieepedia – The Star Wars Wiki  
> Jedipedia, a free German Star Wars-Encyclopaedia


End file.
